TODMORDEN: Gut Royd Wood

 Gut Royd Wood: fencing re-visited.

Having been drenched and blown about by Storm Eunice on Friday, today should have been the turn of Storm Franklin. Fortunately, after a wet and blowy night, the day became drier, calmer and sunnier - ideal conditions for Mick, Kasher and Frank H to continue with the fencing task.

Start of session by the new steps:
First and last posts in place.

End of morning: This section completed
Three posts and four rails.

As with all construction tasks alignment is critical. We were pleased that, by careful measurement and sighting, we managed to get the vertical posts in-line and the parallel rails equally spaced! What's more . . .  they actually looked that way!

Additional tasks in preparation for next session were:

*completing the excavation of post holes (a determined solo effort by Kasher) for a handrail fence to run parallel to a near-by set of stone steps.

*excavating a deep hole for the first post of another section of fence that will start at the right-hand edge of the steps in the above pictures. Mmm! It was only one hole but its exact location was blocked by a 'dragon's tooth' of vertical stone. Extracting this took a disproportionate amount of time and the (nearly) co-ordinated use of two bars and a spade. However, the hole could then be dug and the post embedded. Pictures of this and (we hope) a completed fence will appear in our next report . . . the excitement mounts!

The materials for today's work were provided by the landowner. Many thanks.